Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was fined an undisclosed amount yesterday for lying to coach Flip Saunders about a knee injury before Tuesday’s preseason game against Atlanta.
Arenas, who is trying to recover from his 50-game suspension and felony conviction for bringing guns into the locker room last season, admitted after the game he did it to give teammate Nick Young a chance to start. But Saunders was shocked and disappointed with Arenas, and spoke to Arenas and the team about the situation.
“I said to him that I’m most disappointed personally, because I believe in him,” Saunders said. “There’s been a trust factor. I told him, ‘You’re going to have to be honest with me.’ It’s just like dealing with your kids. Your kids make mistakes and you deal with them. It doesn’t mean you love them any less.”
After yesterday’s practice, Arenas first said he wasn’t talking, then appeared before reporters offering a halfhearted apology for his actions.
“I screwed up again, so I just want to say sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t really thinking that this was going to be another media outburst. It’s like everything I do now, someone, tit for tat, tries to blow it out of proportion.”
For his part, Young feigned innocence about the entire situation, but was more than happy to take advantage of it, scoring a team-high 24 points in a 107-92 Wizard win.
Yao plays
Yao Ming played only 19 minutes while easing back from foot surgery, scoring nine points and delighting his home fans in Beijing as the Houston Rockets defeated the New Jersey Nets, 91-81.
Houston coach Rick Adelman said he planned to allow the center to play 24 minutes in one of their final two preseason games before their Oct. 26 season-opener against the Lakers.
Kevin Martin scored 18 points and Aaron Brooks added 17 to lead Houston in the opener of the fifth set of NBA preseason games in China. Center Brook Lopez led New Jersey with 22 points.
Mo healing up
Cavaliers guard Mo Williams made it through his first full practice of the preseason after being slowed by a groin injury.
New Cleveland coach Byron Scott wants Williams to get through another “four of five practices” before he decides when he will play. The Cavaliers play San Antonio in Pittsburgh tonight before hosting CSKA Moscow Saturday.
Scott added forward Anderson Varejao is questionable tonight with an ankle sprain. . . .
The New Orleans Hornets signed 7-foot center D.J. Mbenga, who played 49 games for the Lakers last season.
